Definitions for ramjetˈræmˌdʒɛt

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word ramjet

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

ramjet, ramjet engine, atherodyde, athodyd, flying drainpipe(noun)

a simple type of jet engine; must be launched at high speed

WiktionaryRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

ramjet(Noun)

A jet engine in which forward motion forces air into an inlet, compressing it (as opposed to having a pump type device compressing the air for combustion with fuel), and where combustion is subsonic.

FreebaseRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

Ramjet

A ramjet, sometimes referred to as a flying stovepipe, or an athodyd which is an abbreviation of Aero thermodynamic duct, is a form of airbreathing jet engine using the engine's forward motion to compress incoming air, without a rotary compressor. Ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed, thus they cannot move an aircraft from a standstill. Ramjets therefore require assisted take off like JATO to accelerate it to a speed where it begins to produce thrust. Ramjets work most efficiently at supersonic speeds around Mach 3. This type of engine can operate up to speeds of Mach 6.
Ramjets can be particularly useful in applications requiring a small and simple mechanism for high-speed use, such as missiles or artillery shells. Weapon designers are looking to use ramjet technology in artillery shells to give added range; a 120-mm mortar shell, if assisted by a ramjet, is thought to be able to attain a range of 22 mi. They have also been used successfully, though not efficiently, as tip jets on the end of helicopter rotors.
Ramjets are frequently confused with pulsejets, which use an intermittent combustion, but ramjets employ a continuous combustion process. They are also confused with scramjets, a similar system used at supersonic speeds.

Dictionary of Military and Associated TermsRate this definition:(0.00 / 0 votes)

ramjet

A jet-propulsion engine containing neither compressor nor turbine which depends for its operation on the air compression accomplished by the forward motion of the engine. See also pulsejet.